Firearms cleaning kit

ABSTRACT

A new and improved firearm cleaning kit including a housing having one or more walls defining a plurality of chambers having openings and one or more lids for covering the chamber openings. The gun cleaning kit also includes pre-moistened gun patches impregnated with gun cleaner and/or gun oil disposed in at least one of the chambers. The pre-moistened patches can be accordion folded and joined together at perforations or separated for easy dispensement. The lid(s) can form seals with the one or more walls or other portions of the housing to minimize the escape of fumes and/or odors from the gun oil and/or bore cleaner from the chamber openings to prevent the detection of their scent.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/646,250 filed on Aug. 22, 2003, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/405,275, filed on Aug. 22, 2002, the disclosure of which is also incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to apparatus used for cleaning gun bores, and more particularly to a gun cleaning kit that can be carried easily by a hunter or marksman in the field.

Cleaning and polishing the gun bore can significantly improve shooting accuracy and consistency. The sooner copper, powder and lead fouling are removed from the bore or barrel, the easier is the cleaning task. Timely cleaning can even preserve the value of the gun. Therefore, frequent cleaning is desirable.

One problem often encountered when hunting is that the hunter trips and the muzzle of the rifle or shotgun is jammed into the earth or snow, blocking the muzzle and the barrel. This can be dangerous, since should the firearm be fired with the obstruction in the barrel it could explode, possibly harming the shooter.

The gun cleaning process is quite simple. A bore cleaning kit typically includes a cleaning rod, brushes and jag attachments of appropriate caliber, pre-cut patches, and cleaning solvent. Immediately after shooting or hunting, the barrel is cleaned using a solvent-bearing brush attached to the end of the cleaning rod which is run through the bore to loosen residue. This is followed by a jag-mounted patch impregnated with solvent to mop out any loose residue and dirt. Patches containing cleaning solvents are run through the bore until a patch comes out clean. A dry patch may then be run through the bore.

Gun cleaning kits typically contain a collection of materials used to clean and oil a gun. These cleaning kits have not changed much since the 1920's, but the way in which people hunt has changed. No longer do hunters have gun bearers, nor do hunters hunt from a horse drawn wagon or motorized vehicle. Today hunters trek off into the bush, carrying whatever they believe will be needed to sustain them for the length of time they will stay in the woods.

However, hunters in the field and recreational shooters rarely carry gun cleaning kits due to the size and bulk of conventional kits. The existing kits are too large to be carried easily, and the cleaning fluids and oils used in the kits have a strong odor that can be smelled at quite a distance by wary game animals. One reason that the game animals can smell these fluids is that the bottles in which they are sold can easily leak, break or be punctured or crushed.

Accordingly, it is desirable to have a kit designed to make firearms cleaning in the field, or on the shooting range, as efficient, easy, and scent free as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a new and improved firearm cleaning kit is provided.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the firearm cleaning kit includes one or more walls defining a plurality of chambers, the chambers having openings, at least one pre-moistened gun patch disposed in at least one of the chambers, the pre-moistened gun patch(es) formed of a gun patch-appropriate material which remains intact while being run through a gun barrel, and a lid for selectively covering at least one of the openings to the chamber(s) having the pre-moistened gun patch(es).

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the gun cleaning kit includes a one or more walls defining a plurality of chambers, the chambers having openings, at least one pre-moistened gun patch disposed in at least one of the chambers, the at least one pre-moistened gun patch having a size suitable for use with a gun having a bore size of about .177 caliber to about .458 caliber, and a lid for selectively covering at least one of the openings corresponding to the at least one of the chambers having the at least one pre-moistened gun patch.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the gun cleaning kit includes a one or more walls defining a plurality of chambers, the chambers having openings, a plurality of pre-moistened gun patches disposed the chambers, wherein the gun patches are pre-moistened with at least one of gun oil and bore cleaner, and a plurality lids each covering and sealing a different opening for minimizing the escape of odors therefrom.

The advantages and benefits of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. The invention may take form in various components and arrangement of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps, preferred embodiments of which will be illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the gun cleaning kit in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the gun cleaning kit shown in FIG. 1, with the lids removed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a chamber of the gun cleaning kit without a lid adapted to store patches pre-moistened with gun oil;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a chamber of the gun cleaning kit without a lid adapted to store patches pre-moistened with gun cleaner; and

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of the gun cleaning kit in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts. Hence, specific examples and characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a firearm cleaning kit shown generally at 10 includes a housing 12. The housing is made of a plastic or other material that is impervious to the chemicals used in cleaning and oiling firearms. The housing material also preferably resists crushing and puncturing.

The housing 12 includes one or more walls 13, 44, 46 and 48 defining compartments or chambers 14, 16, 18 and 20, each chamber having an opening 24, 26, 28 and 30. The exact number of chambers is not critical, however four chambers will be described. One or more of the chambers is adapted to hold moistened gun patches 22, as discussed in further detail below.

Each opening 24, 26, 28 and 30 can be covered by a different lid 34, 36, 38 and 40, respectively. Alternatively, less than one lid per opening can be provided, such that one lid would cover two or more chamber openings. The lids 34, 36, 38 and 40 are preferably attached to the housing when the openings are uncovered, though they may not be. Attaching the open lids 34, 36, 38 and 40 to the housing 12 lessens the chances of losing the lid sin the field. The lids 34, 36, 38 and 40 can be attached by a hinge, a string or chain, or in any other suitable known manner.

When closed to cover the openings 24, 26, 28 and 30, the lids 34, 36, 38 and 40 form seals which minimize the escape of fumes and/or odors from the openings coming from the pre-moistened patches. The lids 34, 36, 38 and 40 can form these seals with the housing, or walls defining the chambers, in any suitable known manner. The seals can be formed to be as tight as practicable, given suitable constraints such as cost and ease of use, to minimize the escape of fumes and/or odors so as to prevent the detection of these scents by people and/or animals from a suitable distance, which may be as low as only a few feet away.

The lids 34, 36, 38 and 40 can close with a snapping sound, or another audible indicator, to indicate closure and that the seal has been formed. Accordingly, the lid, the housing or both can be made to provide the audible indication that the chamber has been sealed. Alternatively, the lids 34, 36, 38 and 40 can be formed to open and close silently.

In alternative embodiments only certain chambers secure to a sealed condition that minimizes the escape of fumes and/or odors, preferably the chambers that may carry items having a strong odor and/or moistened patches.

The chambers 14, 16, 18 and 20 are separated from one another in the housing 12 by internal walls 44, 46 and 48 (FIG. 2). The internal walls 44-48 and the lids 34-40 are made of the same impervious material as the housing. The gun kit 10 can also be formed of one or more walls 12 which can be separate walls, such as separate cylinders, each defining a separate chamber 14, 16, 18 and 20 having an opening.

The pre-moistened gun patches 22 are formed of a gun patch-appropriate material. A gun patch-appropriate material is a material having physical properties which enable it to remain intact while being run through a gun barrel. The gun patch-appropriate material remains intact by not tearing, shredding, or leaving sufficient portions of the gun patch-appropriate material in the gun barrel after it has been run through the gun barrel and then removed to be considered undesirable by those skilled in the art of firearms cleaning and maintenance. It is appreciated that even a gun patch-appropriate material may leave insignificant portions of the material in the gun barrel after use, such as fibers or small amounts of lint, etc., however these insignificant amounts do not interfere with the proper and safe operation, storage and maintenance of the firearm and thus are not considered to be undesirable by those skilled in the art.

The physical properties of gun patch appropriate material can include a tear resistance sufficient to prevent tearing of the patch during normal use, that of being run through a gun barrel. These physical properties can also include resistance to pilling, or forming lint, or other like conditions by which the patch does not remain intact while being run through the gun barrel so that portions of the patch material are left in the barrel during use as a gun patch significant enough to be considered undesirable by those skilled in the art. The gun patch-appropriate material is also absorbent enough, as is known in the art, to retain sufficient amounts of gun oil and/or bore cleaner for application to the gun barrel during use as a gun patch. Examples of gun patch-appropriate material can include cotton flannel, and durable cotton weaves, as well as other materials which are known in the art. The pre-moistened gun patches can be ribbed or textured.

It should be appreciated that a gun patch should make intimate contact with the inside of the gun barrel when run therethrough to perform effectively. However, the gun patch cannot be so large as to be too difficult to run through the barrel either. Thus, the pre-moistened gun patches provided in the gun cleaning kit have sizes suitable for use for specific bore sizes or ranges of bore sizes. The gun cleaning kit is intended for use with most handguns and rifles and thus the pre-moistened gun patches would be sized accordingly. It is contemplated that the pre-moistened gun patches can be provided in sizes capable of being used for guns having bore sizes ranging from about .177 caliber to about .458 caliber. By way of examples, which should not be considered limiting, the pre-moistened gun patches can be flat rectangular pieces of gun patch-appropriate material having a first edge having a size between 14 mm and 30 mm and a second side having a size between 30 mm and 42 mm. The gun patch can be flat circular shaped pieces of gun patch-appropriate material having a diameter of about 80 mm to about 120 mm. It should be appreciated that other sizes and shapes can be utilized if they are known in the art to be effective for use as gun patches on the range of bore sizes provided above.

A plurality of pre-moistened gun patches having different sizes and/or shapes can be provided in the gun cleaning kit, such as by including them in different chambers 14, 16, 18 and 20, to accommodate different ranges of different bore sizes within the bore size ranges provided above. The pre-moistened gun patches can be sized for use with only one barrel size in the range of .177 caliber to .458 caliber, including a single specific barrel size of .177 and .222 and .223 and .257 and .270 and .280 and .308 and .323 and .338 and .357 and .375 and .400 and .405 and .444 and .450 and .458 caliber, or sized for use to fit any combinations of different barrel sizes in this range. Several different sized pre-moistened gun patches can be included in the kit 10.

The pre-moistened gun patches 22 can be pre-moistened with gun oil for oiling a gun, examples of which can include a low viscosity petroleum based oil, a low viscosity non-petroleum based oil, or a low viscosity synthetic oil, or other gun oils known in the art for properly oiling the bore or barrel of a gun. The pre-moistened gun patches 22 can be pre-moistened with bore cleaner, examples of which can include an ammonia based gun cleaning fluid, a surfactant based gun cleaning fluid, a solvent based gun cleaning fluid, or other gun cleaning fluid known in the art for properly cleaning a firearm barrel or bore.

Different pre-moistened gun patches pre-moistened with different gun oils and bore cleaners can be provided in different chambers 14, 16, 18 and 20. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, one or more of the chambers, such as chamber 14, can be adapted to store gun patches 22 a pre-moistened with bore cleaner, and one or more of the chambers, such as chamber 16, can be adapted to store gun patches 22 b pre-moistened with gun oil. Lids 34 and 34 cover openings 24 and 26 respectively to form seals to minimize the escape of fumes and/or odors from the pre-moistened patches 22 a and 22 b. This prevents the scent from the gun oil and/or bore cleaner from being detected by humans or animals. The internal wall 44 divides the bore cleaner chamber 14 from the gun oil chamber 16. The wall 44 is made from a plastic or other material that is impervious to the chemicals used in cleaning and oiling firearms so that no cross-contamination between the chambers can occur.

Chamber 18 can be used to store dry patches. The dry patches are used to wipe the bore after the pre-moistened patches have been used. Also, the impervious internal wall 46 divides the dry patch chamber 18 from the gun oil chamber 16 so that no cross-contamination may occur. The dry gun patches can be of different sizes.

Chamber 20 is adapted for storing other cleaning accessories, including but not limited to, a bore or barrel cleaning rod, a brush and a jag of a size suitable for use with barrels ranging from .177 caliber to .458 caliber. It is contemplated that different sized cleaning accessories can be provided to cover this range of barrel sizes or a smaller range of barrel sizes, even specific barrel sizes if desired. Both the bore cleaning brush and the jag can be made of nylon. Chamber 20 may also store a flexible, pull-through cleaning rod having a threaded ferrule that can accept the brushes and jag. Chamber 20 may also store a rod having a screw-to-assemble T-handle that is assembled by screwing the rod together. The rod may be disassembled to be stored in the chamber 20. Internal wall 48 divides the storage chamber 20 from the dry patch chamber 18.

Lid 40 covers opening 20 to retain the stored implements inside the chamber. Lid 40 can form a seal as described above. The lids 34, 36, 38, 40 can close so as to remain closed when the kit 10 is inverted or jostling. The seals formed by these lids 34, 36, 38, 40 can be sufficient to prevent leakage from the chamber openings of any material from the pre-moistened gun patches when kit is inverted or jostled as well.

The exact location and positioning of the chambers with respect to one another is not critical. The chambers may be positioned in any order and may be horizontal as opposed to the vertical orientation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The gun cleaning kit 10 can also include straps or other equipment so that the kit can be carried easily while hunting. Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the gun cleaning kit 10 may have loops 60 and 62 mounted to a rear wall 64 of the housing 12. The loops 60, 62 allow the user to place the kit on the hunter's belt as opposed to having to carry a cleaning kit in a backpack or other carrying implement. In an alternative embodiment, clips, snaps, hook and loop fasteners or other known elements can be used so that the housing 12 can attach to a hunter's belt.

Chambers 14-18 are designed to hold a plurality of cleaning patches 22, and in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each chamber that holds patches is designed to hold 300 patches though it may be sized to hold any suitable number. The patches 22 are disposed in the chambers in a manner that allows them to be removed individually. For example, the patches can be separate and be folded together to be dispensed similar to facial tissue. As seen in FIG. 3 and 4, the pre-moistened gun patches 22 a and 22 b may be accordion folded, and can have perforations 32 a and 32 b so as to tear off easily when needed, or they can be accordion folded while remaining separated for easy dispensement.

Referring now to FIG. 5, another embodiment of a firearm cleaning kit is shown generally at 100. The gun cleaning kit 100 includes a housing 112 made of plastic or other material that is impervious to the cleaning chemicals used in cleaning and oiling firearms. The housing 112 includes chambers 114, 116, 118 and 120 each chamber having an opening 124, 126, 128 and 130, respectively. As with the kit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the exact number of chambers is not critical, however four chambers will be described.

Each opening 124, 126, 128 and 130 can be covered by a lid 134, 136, 138 and 140, respectively. Lids 134, 136, and 138 can be hingedly attached to an upper edge 142 of the housing 112. Lid 140 may be hingedly attached to a wall 144 of the housing 112. The chambers 114, 116 and 118 may be separated from one another in the housing 112 by internal walls 146 and 148. Chamber wall 150 separates chamber 120 from chambers 114, 116, and 118. The internal walls 146 and 148, chamber wall 150 and lids 134-140 are made of the same impervious material as the housing. The lids 134, 136, 138 and 140 can snap closed for a seal, so that minimal fumes and/or odors are released from the chambers when they are closed. Also, lid 140 covers opening 120 to retain the stored implements inside the chamber. Lid 140 can form a seal with housing 112. Lid 140 snaps when closed so that the lid will not open during jostling or other movement, including inverting the kit 110. In other embodiments only certain chambers may secure to a sealed condition.

Similar to the gun cleaning kit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two of the chambers can store a plurality of pre-moistened patches impregnated with bore cleaning solution and gun oil. Another chamber can hold dry patches. The patches may be accordion folded with perforations so as to tear off easily when needed. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, e patches are stored in the uppermost chambers 114-118. The internal walls 146 and 148 and the chamber wall 150 insure that no cross-contamination occurs.

Chamber 120 may be located below and spaced from the three uppermost chambers 114-118. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, chamber 120 is horizontally disposed, while chambers 114-118 are disposed vertically. Chamber 120 is used to store the same or similar gun cleaning implements as those that are held in chamber 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Similar to the kit shown in FIG. 2, the kit 100 shown in FIG. 5 may have loops (not shown) attached to the rear of the kit. The loops allow the hunter or shooter to place the kit on the hunter's belt.

Each kit 10, 100 disclosed can be unique to a specific caliber, millimeter, or gauge of shotgun, pistol or rifle. Furthermore alternate orientations of the chambers may be offered and additional chambers may be added.

Since the kit can be mounted directly on a hunter's belt, the housing should be as compact as possible. Furthermore, since the kit is to be used in the field it should contain everything needed to allow a shooter to clear a blocked barrel, or to clean his rifle, pistol, or shotgun, eliminating the need for a larger more awkward gun cleaning kit. Additionally, since the kit is to be used while hunting, the scent of the pre-moistened patches needs to be contained. If the smell of the cleaning liquid or gun oil is allowed to escape, game animals at distances as great as a mile or more away may smell the contents of the hunter's gun cleaning kit and avoid the hunter.

The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations. 

1. A gun cleaning kit comprising: one or more walls defining a plurality of chambers, the chambers having openings; at least one pre-moistened gun patch disposed in at least one of the chambers, the at least one pre-moistened gun patch formed of a gun patch-appropriate material which remains intact while being run through a gun barrel; and a lid for selectively covering at least one of the openings corresponding to the at least one of the chambers having the at least one pre-moistened gun patch.
 2. The gun cleaning kit of claim 1 wherein the lid covers and seals the at least one of the openings for minimizing the escape of odors therefrom.
 3. The gun cleaning kit of claim 1 wherein the lid is attached to the gun cleaning kit when not covering the at least one of the openings.
 4. The gun cleaning kit of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a barrel cleaning rod, a brush and a jag disposed in at least one of the chambers.
 5. The gun cleaning kit of claim 1 wherein the at least one pre-moistened gun patch includes a plurality of pre-moistened patches.
 6. The gun cleaning kit of claim 5 wherein the plurality of pre-moistened gun patches are separated and folded together in the chamber for easy dispensement.
 7. The gun cleaning kit of claim 5 wherein the plurality of pre-moistened gun patches are attached to each other with perforations therebetween and accordion folded.
 8. The gun cleaning kit of claim 1 wherein the at least one pre-moistened gun patch is pre-moistened with at least one of gun oil and bore cleaner.
 9. The gun cleaning kit of claim 8 wherein the at least one pre-moistened gun patch is pre-moistened with at least one of a low viscosity petroleum based oil, a low viscosity non-petroleum based oil, and a low viscosity synthetic oil.
 10. The gun cleaning kit of claim 8 wherein the at least one pre-moistened gun patch is pre-moistened with at least one of an ammonia based gun cleaning fluid, a surfactant based gun cleaning fluid, and a solvent based gun cleaning fluid.
 11. The gun cleaning kit of claim 1 further comprising means for attaching the kit to a person's belt.
 12. The gun cleaning kit of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of dry gun patches disposed in at least one of the chambers.
 13. The gun cleaning kit of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of lids, each lid covering and sealing a different opening for minimizing the escape of odors therefrom.
 14. A gun cleaning kit comprising: one or more walls defining a plurality of chambers, the chambers having openings; at least one pre-moistened gun patch disposed in at least one of the chambers, the at least one pre-moistened gun patch having a size suitable for use with a gun having a bore size of about .177 caliber to about .458 caliber; and a lid for selectively covering at least one of the openings corresponding to the at least one of the chambers having the at least one pre-moistened gun patch.
 15. The gun cleaning kit of claim 14 wherein the pre-moistened gun patch is formed of a flat material having a first edge having a size between 14 mm and 30 mm and a second side having a size between 30 mm and 42 mm.
 16. The gun cleaning kit of claim 14 wherein the pre-moistened gun patch is formed of a flat material sized for use with one or more barrel sizes of .177 caliber and .222 caliber and .223 caliber and .257 caliber and .270 caliber and .280 caliber and .308 caliber and .323 caliber and .338 caliber and .357 caliber and .375 caliber and .400 caliber and .405 caliber and .444 caliber and .450 caliber and .458 caliber.
 17. The gun cleaning kit of claim 14 wherein pre-moistened gun patch is round having a diameter of about 80 mm to about 120 mm.
 18. The gun cleaning kit of claim 14 wherein the gun patches are pre-moistened with at least one of gun oil and bore cleaner.
 19. A gun cleaning kit comprising: one or more walls defining a plurality of separate chambers, the chambers having openings; a plurality of pre-moistened gun patches disposed the chambers, wherein the gun patches are pre-moistened with at least one of gun oil and bore cleaner; and a plurality lids each covering and sealing a different one of at least some of the openings for minimizing the escape of odors therefrom.
 20. The gun cleaning kit of claim 19 wherein the gun patches are pre-moistened with at least one of a low viscosity petroleum based oil, a low viscosity non-petroleum based oil, and a low viscosity synthetic oil, an ammonia based gun cleaning fluid, a surfactant based gun cleaning fluid, and a solvent based gun cleaning fluid. 